Ra Vizsla
The Undying
Ne'tra Cat'ra Bes'uliik
Black Sky
Vengeance Of Mandalore
Image Source: Daniel Simon | Kyle Nelson | Michael Kus | Michael Kus | Michael Kus | Michael Kus | Star Wars: The Force Unleashed | Samuel Youn | Custom Edits By Ra Vizsla
Intent: To provide Ra Vizsla an iconic Bes'uliik to ride into combat against the enemies of Mandalore.
Restricted Missions: Furnace For A Black Sky (Beskar - Mining Thread) | Civil War: First Strike (Beskar - Devastating Defeat To A Mandalorian)
Manufacturer: Ra Vizsla
Model: Ne'tra Cat'ra
Affiliation: Personal
Modularity: None
Production: Unique
Material: Beskar, Crystasteel, Duramentium, Mandalorian Steel
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Classification: Fourth Degree
Role(s): Assault, Transport
Height: 7 meters
Length: 11 meters
Width: 3 meters
Weight: 62 metric tons
Minimum Crew: 1
Optimal Crew: 1
Propulsion: Quadrupedal/Engines
Speed: Exceedingly Fast
Maneuverability: Very Low
Armaments: Very High
Defenses: Moderate
Passenger Capacity: 1
Cargo Capacity: 3 metric tons
Consumables: 2 Days
SPECIAL FEATURES
ARMAMENTS
8 Shockwave Generator Rods (Face)
1 VT-Particle Gatling Gun MK VII (Tip of Tail)
1 Miniature Devourer Tank (Underbody of Center Mass)
4 Pulse-Wave Cannons (Shoulders)
12 Grenade Mortars (Underbody of Tail)
MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT
Propulsion
4 XF-16 Power Generators
SubLight Acceleration Motor
KV807-A Engines
Brain
Heuristic Droid Processor
Behavioral Circuitry Matrix
Logic Capacitor
Mimetic Combat Processor
Primary Performance Bank
Personality Matrix
Cogitative Theory Unit
Sensors
SI I5g8 "Quickscan" Imaging System
Mandalorian Bloodtrace Scanpack
False Energy Signature Projector
ANx-y/2 Sensor Cluster
Infrared Motion Sensor Array
Bioscanner
Audio Telescope
Omniprobe Sensor Array
Aural Sensor
Targeting
3K40 Targeting System
Multi-Frequency Targeting and Acquisition System
Multi-Spectral Target Assessor
Communications
Broadband Antennahttp://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Broadband_antenna
Subspace Transceiver
Comlink
Encryption Module
IFF Transponder
Eradictor Communications Scrambler
Distress Beacon
Defenses
Cap Drain
Ionization Buffer
Molecular Shielding | Front Only
4 Variant III Black Smoke Screamer Generators
4 Flare Launchers
12 Light Absorbant Cells
Missile Deactivation Transmitter
Convertible Cockpit
Socketguard
Anti-Force User
2 Nutrient Frames
2 Ysalamir
Miscellaneous
Devourer Mouth
8 Illuminator
1 Food Processor
Scoop
Ejector Seat
Inertial Compensator
Cargo
8x Orbital Strike Beacons
Phylactery Scarab Droid Swarm
Strengths
--- Self-healing. With the Phylactery Scarab Droid Swarm*, the Black Sky Basilisk may heal itself of minor injuries such as dings and nicks. Substantial damage, such as full penetration or missing limbs, will require a visit to a Factory/Forge to repair.
--- Can consume organic material to feed Ysalamiri & even Recharge The Basilisk. Using the Devourer Mouth/Devourer Organism*, the Black Sky can simulate the nutrients needed by a Ysalamiri by churning organic material it gathers with the Devourer* through the Food Processor* and into the Nutrient Frames*. Using the Scoop*, the Black Sky can gather materials needed to refuel itself, though this process can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes of uninterrupted eating/scooping.
--- Only useable by Ra Vizsla & anyone he's blood-scanned. Between the Droid interface that has been programmed to only obey Ra and the Mandalorian Bloodtrace Scan Pack*/Bioscanner*, Black Sky will only obey its one Master.
--- Can Carry Ysalamiri. Though most Basilisks can carry Ysalamiri Nutrient Frames, Black Sky's creator has ensured it can hold multiple for an exponential increase in area-of-effect.
--- Black Sky can "turn out the lights" within a 16 meter radius. Using its Light Absorbant Cells*, the Black Sky Basilisk can bend light around it to simulate darkness.
--- Black Sky can emit black smoke within a 3.2 kilometer radius in good wind conditions. Though the Variant III Black Smoke Screamer Generators are clocked up to a mile apiece, there are diminishing returns with spreading that amount of gaseous volume over that wide an area within a single area.
--- Armed to the teeth. Self-explanatory, Black Sky's creator has ensured that the vehicle is more than capable in a fight.
--- Frontal Shielding. A Molecular Shield covers the front head, shoulders and arms of the Basilisk, shielding the pilot from frontal attacks.
---Sassy Fighting Personality. Black Sky has interfaced with Ra Vizsla several times, learning his strategies and tactics, and possesses its own adaptive learning kit that provides it the ability to learn and overcome obstacles when by itself. Due to this, it also possesses its own unique personality as a droid.
---Can Scamble Communications. The Black Sky can utilize its Eradicator Communications Scambler to shut down frequencies in a 2 mile vicinity.
Weaknesses
---Not meant for space travel or combat. The Black Sky Basilisk is created solely for atmospheric engagements and does not protect its rider from the atmosphere, meaning the rider would only have his/her suit's oxygen.
---Single Point of Failure. Despite the vast armaments and defenses of the Black Sky, one of its entitled weapons - the Devourer Mouth - leads directly into its core. A well placed shot/explosion to its underbelly while the mouth is open will render Black Sky completely inert. All awesomely destructive things have silly single points of failure.
---Power Hungry. When engaged in combat, the power that Black Sky can consume increases drastically and is only sustainable for up to 1-3 hours.
---Face Value Cargo Capacity. Black Sky is "what you see is what you get". There's not much storage room, comparatively, for large objects. Nor is there any room for modularity.
---Huge Turning Radius. Black Sky can haul ass but turning around is another story. More versatile, agile fighters will escape it's gaze with ease.
---Shielding Covers the front of the Basilisk only. Due to power requirements, the creator of Black Sky was unable to shield the entirety of the enormous basilisk and had to settle for frontal shielding only.
Description
Ra learned a lot from his fights against the Republic during the First Crusade. During the battle, he utilized several Black Smoke Screamers to swath the battlefield with smoke and completely caught the enemy offguard. As Mand'alor, in battle, Vizsla has often preferred the tactic of overwhelming an enemy before the fight has even begun. The Black Sky Basilisk is the culmination of these ideas, as it is meant to devastate the enemy psychologically before the fight has even begun. Not only terrifying in design, but the black smoke screamers are more than capable of changing an entire battlefield and providing Ra both the cover and weaponry that he desires in a full frontal engagement. The Black Sky was designed as an initiator - it is meant to lend its vast arsenal as a supporting fighter, to wage siege warfare against a dismembered enemy as they scrambel from the shock and awe tactics of the creature. Furthermore, the Black Sky is a fierce tank in its own right. The droid itself possesses many initiating weapons such as the gatling gun on its tail and its own massive size. It's this massive size that lends credence to the idea that this monstrous Basilisk is the Alpha Predator of all Basilisks thus created. However, this massive size comes with many drawbacks, such as the power requirements for such a beast needed before recharging and the turning radius necessary before being able to provide a frontal assault. Even so, its defenses are capable of defending the beast during a frontal assault. Its the back of the creature that one must accustom themselves to.
This is very much Ra's personal Basilisk. Due to the paranoia spreading in the Civil War, of brother fighting brother, the Mandalorian Bloodtrace Scanpack prevents Force Users from utilizing the machine. Upon even more scrutiny, the beast will prevent all non-Ra Vizsla personnel from riding it, and will engage them aggressively unless Ra is present to prevent it from doing so. However, the beast can - most of the time - differ friend from foe. This has yet to be tested in a Mandalorian vs Mandalorian war, but the creature has been tested several times with its cognitive ability to understand what is allied to its own rider, Ra Vizsla. It's ability to differ between allies and foes has been tested several times with Clan Raxis specifically, as Ra liked to use them as training targets in evolutions that required such due to their fellow vod Jack betraying the Mand'alor on Kashyyyk. The iron beast has been taught not only Ra's specific knowledge, but has been imparted several lessons by the greatest minds of Mandalore in battle tactics and strategy. They kept these lessons in addendum to the information procured from other factions during the Crusade, specifically the One Sith raids and the invasion against the Galactic Republic.
The Devourer of the Basilisk is simultaenously one of its weakest points and strongest. The Devourer, paired with several other appliances of the Black Sky Basilisk, can eat organic material to feed the custom equipped Ysalamiri nutrient frames. This can feed the Ysalamiri indefinitely without personnel having to devote themselves to caring for the animals. The animals create a negative field against the Force, preventing the Force from being utilized on the Black Sky, due to Ra's paranoia. The creatures are his favorite, so the nutrient frames are custom made with crystasteel frames to prevent direct impacts of small arms to affect the animals. The Devourer can also help mine materials needed from planets to fuel the powercells of the Basilisk. Though this is rare, as the Black Sky also provides methods to be manually refueled at fueling stations, Ra Vizsla can from time to time land the Black Sky and begin mining materials. He can also use the Devourer to collect corpses from the battlefield and turn them into food or fuel for his beast. Though he would never do this to even traitorous Mandalorians, the bodies of foreigners are deemed as worthless and useful only for fueling his machines. Befouling the enemy is not against his own personal faith, so it is seen as a circle of life objective to continue to fuel his machine with corpses. Furthermore, it provides a psychological impact against the enemy to see the Black Sky eating their friends. The mouth of the Devourer is rather fragile to impacts and small arms fire, though. The inside of the mouth leads directly past the core, and though the construction does not provide for the machine to immediately combust upon impact, it would render the machine all but inert and unable to continue combat.
Perhaps the most devastating impact of the Black Sky lies within the name itself - the Basilisk provides the capability to literally bend light around it, simulating darkness. In addition to its black smoke screamer generators, this ability provides a psychological defeat to the enemy so terrifying that many would hope to never be within reach of its claws. Though this darkness is easily penetrated by the use of ultraviolet or infrared spectrums, the Black Sky Basilisk is a master of conquering its environment before it attempts to conquer its enemy. Much like its Master, the Black Sky intends to be three steps ahead at all times, and has several bags of tricks in its arsenal in its attempt to become a dominant force on the battlefield. It was designed and created solely by Ra Vizsla, with his own hands - its design and secrets are his to possess alone. Its infrastructure, frequencies it utilizes, all are different from your average run-of-the-mill mass produced besuliiks. Ra, in his efforts to dominate the failing Mandalorian culture and return his people to the ways of old that had succeeded in times past with such names as Indomitable and Ultimate, institutes the ideals of strength and fear into his designs. The Black Sky is the culmination of all of this work, and represents the vying Mand'alor's greatest invention yet.
Whether it was the greatest of Besuliiks would remain to be seen, but it was certainly Ra's attempt.
Primary Source
Kay'calyr Bes'uliik
Cin Bes'uliik
Bes'uliik MK II
Tbarsr Class Besuliik
* An asterisk signifies the item has been referenced previously in Misc Equipment/Special Features section.
